Muslim bangles seller thrashed mercilessly in India for using 'Hindu name'

• Muslim man selling bangles thrashed in India's Madhya Pradesh.
• MP's home minister claims man used "Hindu name".
• Mob also reportedly robbed the man of 10,000 Indian rupees.

BHOPAL: A mob in India's Madhya Pradesh mercilessly beat a Muslim bangles seller after he had apparently used a fake name, NDTV reported Monday.

"If a man hides his name, caste, and religion then bitterness comes in," the state's Home Minister Narottam Mishra said in response to the incident, according to the media outlet.

The minister said the incident — which had occurred in MP's Indore on Sunday — should not be given a given "communal colour".

The mob also reportedly robbed the man of 10,000 Indian rupees.

"He was using a Hindu name, though he belonged to a different community. He also had two different Aadhaar cards [...] he was selling bangles which our daughters wear and apply henna during sawan (monsoon) [...] that's how the altercation started," the minister said.

The mob can be seen thrashing Tasleem, the victim, in a crowded street of the Banganga area in the video that circulated on social media.

"The unidentified men are heard using communal slurs at him as people around him watch — none of them tries to help the victim," the news outlet reported.

A man, in the video, said: "Take whatever you want. He should not be seen in this area anymore," as he took out bangles from Tasleem's bag and asked the people standing nearby to come forward and beat him.

Later, the victim said in his complaint to the police, said: "The accused first asked my name and started beating once I revealed it. They also robbed the ₹10,000 that I was carrying and broke the bangles and other material that I had."

The three main suspects in the case were arrested in 24 hours, while a case of rioting, assault, robbery, intimidation, and trying to disturb communal harmony was registered late at night.

"We would like to urge people not to react to social media posts that are communal in nature. We are also keeping a watch on such social media posts. Stringent action will be taken against them," a senior police officer, Ashutosh Bagri, said.